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How to choose a Virtualization PlatformUnderstanding what a virtualization platform is can be difficult, then having to choose the best platform for your business can be exhausting. Even though it has been around for a while, the virtualization concept is relatively new for some small-medium sized businesses and the big ones are still considering making the switch.

Below you’ll find 5 basics questions that will help you jump on the virtualization band wagon! Keep reading if you want some tips on How to Choose a Virtualization Platform.

To start,What is a Virtualization Platform?It is a virtual (not actual, not real, not tangible) machine that acts like a real computer with an operating system. So, instead of owning a physical server, you have a virtual one that can be hosted online. Cool right? It has virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices and computer network resources. Everything you need in one place minus all the extra hardware.

Why should your business go Virtual?We all know the old saying, ‘why fix it if it isn’t broke’ right? Although that may be common, the truth is that businesses have to stay innovative for their customers and clients! Going virtual has so many benefits such as:

Now we know the ‘what’ and ‘why’, but let’s focus on the ‘how’. (The real reason you clicked on this post).

How do you choose and switch to a Virtualization Platform?Some companies may offer services you may not need and some may offer services you never thought existed.The trick is, to figure out what you need or want to get from your Virtualization Platform and find a company that does just that. When researching ask yourself the following:

– Is their software user friendly?
– Do they offer a free trial?
– Will they be present at a trade show near you? That way you can meet their team!
– Will they be compatible with the equipment your office already has?
– How much is this going to cost?

And remember, ‘popular’ brands aren’t your only option. There are many fish in the sea of vendors and there will be the perfect one out there for you!

Although there are many options, in our unbiased opinion – we believe Bicom Systems to be one of the better choices. Which brings me to my next topic, the ‘who’.

Who do you choose?Bicom Systems of course! The Virtualization Platform that Bicom Systems offers is called SERVERware. It is the only Virtualization Platform dedicated to Hosting Telephony & Unified Communications in the Cloud. Bicom Systems offers three different editions, so companies can choose what works best for their operations. If you want to learn more about SERVERware check out our website!

Ok maybe you don’t choose Bicom Systems. We won’t be that sad. But you may need to choose someone, which leaves this blog post to its final ‘w’ the ‘when’.

When do you choose a Virtualization Platform?NOW! There is no time to waste in the virtual world.
You are in luck – Bicom Systems is having a sale for Black Friday!

Requirements for the project are to find a possible server configuration that should be able to cope with 2600 extensions usage. We must take into account that each extension will use gloCOM and have a deskphone as well.

Since time was a limited resource and the fastest server that we had was the HP DL360 G7, we decided to use that server as a quick testing scenario where we would try to come as close as possible to the technical setup needed for the project. Once we had the minimum needed result numbers, we could now compare to some use cases with our servers and the performance of servers that are new on the market.

G7 specs are as follows:

CPU: 2x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU L5630 @ 2.13GHz (4 core/8 threads)

RAM: 24GB DDR3

DISKS: Combined 500GB of space SAS drives

OS: Serverware 3.0 with 1 PBXware 5 VPS instance

This server managed to run approximately 750 extensions with a total of 230 calls, 750 gloCOM connections, 15 SIP registrations per second, and 375 OPTION packets per second. This was all done on one VPS.

Bicom Systems has a production server with about 3700 extensions split between 24 VPSs with maximum number of extensions per VPS at 750. Keeping in mind this server is running older versions of Serverware and PBXware, with much less features than our newly available versions. The configuration of said server is:

CPU: 1x Xeon D-1541 with 8 cores

RAM: 32GB

DISK: 1x 1.6TB SSD

OS: Serverware 1.9 with 24 PBXware 4 instances

Now, taking into account the new Xeon CPUs, which perform much better than servers such as the G9 and G10, we came to a possible configuration that will satisfy project needs:

CPU: 2x Xeon E5 with 8 cores each

RAM: 32GB DDR4

Disks: if we consider recording considering you do not go under 1TB, the number of disks would depend on the type of Serverware. We would also recommend a solution with call recordings being stored on a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), while the system and all else that accompanies it be stored on a Solid-State Drive (SSD).

One thing that needs to be mentioned is that we can’t be sure if all of 2600 extensions would be able to coexist on a single PBXware VPS, so it is recommended to start out with one VPS and if you run into issues, split them into other VPSs. This should resolve those issues.

Webinars are a great interaction tool for any business. It is an efficient and sure way of getting your message out to customers directly, especially in the tech industry. Below are four (4) benefits of presenting webinars.

Around the clock availability

Webinars are available live and can be visited later on if you are unavailable. This around the clock availability is extremely useful if you have clients that are constantly busy or do business internationally on different time zones than you. Also, having the availability of the webinar after it has gone live helps increase your reach through search engine optimization (SEO) when being searched for at a later date. This helps you stay relevant rather than hosting live seminars and losing the attention once it’s over.

Easy way of delivering your message to your target

More often than not, those that watch your webinar have an interest or stake in what you are presenting. This means that your audience for the webinar is most likely who you are targeting or should try to target with your marketing efforts. Having your target market come to you rather than putting in extensive, and expensive, market research will simplify your job greatly.

Cost savings

Although you have to spend to create a webinar, you also save considerably from other sources. These include travel costs that your company would have endured in order to educate your customers on changes to the system; the cost of time that’s spent by your presenter while they could be working away at other tasks; and lastly the costs you would’ve undertook to hire a venue and all that comes with hosting a live event. You always want your customer to be educated, however, budgeting properly is should also be a top priority.

Easy way of generating qualified leads

If you ask any sales representative, they will say that generating leads is easy; however, generating QUALIFIED leads is a more difficult process. Relating back to the second benefit, those that are watching your webinar are probably interested in what you are presenting. You are now able to use the registration from the webinar to collect lead information such as contact methods and locations. This is also considered a form of market research as you can see what your demographics and geographics are. Lastly, by educating those watching your webinar you have already qualified them as leads since they are now aware of your products and services and there will be no need to re-qualify.

The 4 benefits mentioned above explain how webinars are a powerful tool if you are looking to increase brand awareness, minimize costs, and boost revenues in the simplest possible way.

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Webinars are an interactive tool used to drive traffic, increase brand awareness, and help generate qualified leads. These are very useful to attend as they are extremely informative and can provide helpful insight about the topic in question.

Selling VoIP could be extremely difficult. People are often hesitant to change, especially when they don’t know what they are switching to. A webinar that educates potential customers on the benefits and simplicity of VoIP greatly reduces or even removes those fears that accompany a switch. The ability to communicate the benefits of using VoIP in a business, no matter the size, should be the top priority for anyone selling VoIP

The future of the VoIP market is bright. The expected growth rate is 9 percent, which by 2021 will make it a $140 billion industry. This provides a great entry opportunity, and an even bigger opportunity for those already established businesses to increase their revenue. Educating businesses on VoIP’s full potential and all the possibilities would unlock a blue ocean that is easy to exploit.

Unified Communications is a system of integrated communications that enhance business practices. Every business, no matter how big or small should be using VoIP and UCaaS to a certain extent. Since UC is a variety of products that uniformly work together, it’s important to find a product that contains all those features you need, which Bicom has. As for the financing aspect, Bicom Systems is introducing a promotion that allows you to halt your payments until the fall. This means that you defer three (3) months payments for your UC Service. This is the perfect promotion for small businesses as you get to delay payments and adjust your finances.

With the UCaaS market growth at 25-20% per year, you know you are making the right decision.